ARTICLES ABOUT LAYOFFS BY DATE - PAGE 5

ISLE OF WIGHT - The exodus of International Paper Corp. employees ends today, when the final wave of 100 workers leaves the shuttered paper mill for the last time. "It will be pretty quiet there after today," said company spokeswoman Donna Wadsworth. A skeleton crew of 30 will stay on indefinitely to handle facility upkeep and records management, she said. Approximately 1,100 workers have lost their jobs since the first round of layoffs began Dec. 31, weeks after the company's November announcement that it would close its southern Isle of Wight facility.

Few teams have ever been on a roll like the Colorado Rockies going into the 2007 World Series. They closed the regular season winning 14 of 15 games. Then they swept Philadelphia and Arizona in the playoffs. They were hotter than a $40 Rolex. Then they had to sit around for nine days and wait for the World Series to begin. The Rockies never regained their groove. And they were swept by the Boston Red Sox. What does this have to do with the Eastern Region baseball tournament, which begins Monday morning at the Bud Metheny Complex?

HAMPTON – A "Reduction in Force" policy was used to determine Bryan Elementary secretary Brian Coleman's status as an employee in Hampton City Schools. Human Resources used the policy to determine that Coleman would be "bumped" to a lower position in the district based on his seniority. He's worked for the district for 18 years, and his job will go to someone who has worked in the district longer. Here is a PDF of the policy, which was last revised Feb. 17 as part of the budget cuts for 2011 and includes this clause that allows administrators to make exceptions in special cases: "These guidelines do not address all possible situations that may occur during a reduction in force.

WILLIAMSBURG — Before adopting a budget reduced by the recession for the second year in a row, the Williamsburg City Council heard that the city may have hit bottom regarding a steep revenue slide, and may even be rebounding. The city's budget came in at $31 million, a 3.16 percent decrease from the current fiscal year. The budget assumes no tax increase and a reduction in city staff from 185 to 182 employees. Of the three positions to be cut, two are currently filled. The good news is, not only are real estate and sales tax receipts up, but "finally, we've turned the corner on rooms tax," said City Manager Jack Tuttle.

— The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation hasn't been immune to effects of the country's economic downturn and over the past year has had to make serious spending cuts to balance its budget. Board members outlined some of the spending cuts at Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center Thursday during the foundation's spring meeting in Williamsburg. Some of the cuts have included reducing its outreach education service by 18,000 students and cutting some of the museums' security staff.

JAMES CITY — With no tax increase, major layoffs or service reductions, Sandy Wanner on Friday released his final budget as James City County administrator. The budget for fiscal year 2011, which begins July 1, came in at $159.8 million. That's $3.5 million – or 2.2 percent – lower than the budget for the current fiscal year. The budget retains the current real estate tax rate of 77 cents per $100 valuation. Though Wanner's proposal calls for some user-based fee increases, most of the shortfall is covered by decreased spending.

— Some employees at Anheuser-Busch InBev's Williamsburg Brewery could be temporarily laid off as the company seeks to reduce its staff to meet its current operational needs, company officials said Wednesday. The company did not announce how many employees would be affected by the layoffs or when they might take place, but Williamsburg Brewery General Manager Rick Shippey said the James City County plant has had to temporarily reduce its staff periodically over the years. "From time-to-time, the operational needs of the brewery dictate a temporary reduction in manpower," Shippey said in a prepared statement.

Hampton City Schools employees will have to wait longer to find out if their jobs are affected by the School Board's $24.8 million in budget cuts for next year. The board updated its layoff guidelines at its Feb. 17 meeting to say that instead of being notified in February, employees will learn whether their positions are affected before the March 10 presentation of the proposed budget. School employees will be notified of specific assignments for the next school year in late May or early June.

New Year's Eve is the beginning of the end of International Paper Corp.'s hulking presence in southern Isle of Wight County. It's also the last day of work for Vernon Baugham, a second-generation, 24-year veteran paper mill employee. A pipe fitter who grew up watching his father work at the mill, Baugham is among the first wave of employees to lose their jobs as part of the company's massive shutdown of its facilities in Isle of Wight County. International Paper stunned the region in October when it announced that the company would be shuttering its local plants in 2010, laying off more than 1,100 people by next spring.